Thursday, April 4, 2013

Want a tree for your yard? Pepco is giving out free ones

Trees are good! They look nice, improve land value, help the environment by filtering the air and save you money by keeping your house cool on hot times and warmer on cool days. So you should plant them! Luckily, Pepco is giving out some for free. See below.

Pepco Providing 2,000 Free Trees to Maryland and DC Customers

Washington, D.C. – In its third year as an Arbor Day Foundation partner, Pepco is providing 2,000 free trees to customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia through the Energy-Saving Trees program. Launched as a pilot initiative in 2011, the Energy-Saving Trees program conserves energy and reduces household electricity bills through strategic tree planting. Pepco customers can reserve their free trees today at www.arborday.org/pepco.

Within seconds of accessing the website, an online tool helps Pepco customers find the most strategic location for planting and estimates the annual savings that will result from the tree. The Arbor Day Foundation calculates that the 2,000 trees are estimated to produce more than $380,000 in energy savings within 20 years. Customers can reserve up two trees per household and the program will continue until all 2,000 trees are reserved. In exchange for the free trees, customers are expected to care for the trees and plant them in the location provided by the online tool. The two-to-four-foot trees will be delivered directly to the customer at an ideal time for planting.

“The Energy-Saving Trees program saves money and the environment,” said Thomas H. Graham, president, Pepco Region. “More than $380,000 in energy savings within 20 years is a substantial benefit to our customers and the region.”

The Energy-Saving Trees online tool was created by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Davey Institute, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Co., and uses peer-reviewed scientific research from the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree Software to calculate estimated benefits